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BLOG #1: GREECE (September into October, 2023)
“Big, Fat, Greek, Mamma Mia 55 and ALIVE!” Girls’ Getaway!
“Mid-Life Greece”
This adventure was as EPIC as the title we gave it. To celebrate our year of turning 55, my high school besties and I went BIG. I, personally, had recently lost two dear friends, my age, when they were 50 and 49 respectively. Losing them profoundly affected me. I was not going to wait anymore to do all the things. So, we wholeheartedly agreed that a special trip together was the best way to celebrate ourselves (and all those we have lost). These 3 lasses were kind enough to let this SASSIE take the reins. It was quite an endeavour, despite my experience and passion for planning itineraries. Greece is…well, GREECE. There is the amazing mainland, and then the countless islands. Countless. I had no idea where to even begin in terms of where we would go after landing in Athens. But, at least we had settled on a time frame: late September to early October, which is slightly off peak season, so prices and crowds were much better. And the weather would be less hot and therefore more bearable for FOUR MENOPAUSALS.
Meet the MAMMA MIAS (L to R): TRACEY, JANINE, DENISE, and me, SASSIE.
THE ITINERARY LOGIC
ATHENS is the major connection hub for all other domestic flights in Greece. I knew we had to stay at least one night to see THE ACROPOLIS, and I am so glad I planned for 2 nights, because Athens has so much more to offer than just that (but of course, THAT was just as spectacular as we had hoped). I had decided, after so much research, like ENDLESS HOURS OF IT, on two other islands: SANTORINI and IOS. Santorini is so classically Greek. When you picture Greece, the caldera and the seascape view from Oia are exactly what you imagine. Sure, it’s for honeymooners and young influencers doing all the colourful, flowy dress photo shoots, etc… and sure, it is filled, I mean FILLED, with tourists (even in late September), but it is absolutely a MUST see on any Greece itinerary. IOS was the one that almost didn’t make the cut, as it was up against MYKONOS, PAROS, and NAXOS, all of which were strong contenders. But, there was something about IOS, at least in all the reading I did, that really pulled at my heart, which I listened to on this one and I am sooooooo glad for it!! It turned out to be the highlight for all of us. It was perfectly placed in the itinerary, as well, coming at the end, so we had a whole week to relax, or adventurously move about, whatever we wished.
We quickly understood why the adorable mayor in My Big Fat Greek Wedding always said: “NUMBER ONE. THE BEST!”.
Here are the HIGHLIGHTS of each location, with links included to our accommodations, our favourite excursions, restaurants, nightlife, beaches, etc… . AND some “little stories” to OPT into if you want to experience our adventure even more vibrantly.
- IF YOU THINK OUR EXPERIENCE IS SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, A DETAILED ITINERARY IS AVAILABLE ON THE HOME PAGE FOR A SMALL FEE. IF YOU ENJOY TRAVELING BUT NOT THE LEG WORK, THEN THIS WILL MAKE IT EASY FOR YOU! It includes all booking links, a budget projection and breakdown, and day by day plan with helpful tips. It is NOT an overscheduled itinerary, as you can see from this blog, so you can tweak it to make it your own. There is plenty of room for serendipitous moments with this design.
ATHENS
The evening view from our Airbnb balcony! Seriously!
If you are just as impressed by this view as we were, you too can stay at this Airbnb (The Acropolis Viewer- For Time Travelers):
THE ATHENS EXPERIENCE
We arrived at Athens International Airport (Eleftherios Venizelos) in the morning and things went quite smoothly and quickly through customs, retrieving our one shared checked bag, and exiting to the cab cue, which was nicely organized outside. We felt the warm air immediately and it all started to sink in: we’ve ARRIVED!!
After taking two separate cabs into the city core (this was not our intention. If you would like to see more on this hilarity, CLICK HERE for that STORY! We arrived at the “pedestrian only” area of our Airbnb neighbourhood, MONASTIRAKI, and we were excited to see we were right smack in the middle of all sorts of restaurants and bars and people. So lively! After saying, “efcharisto” (thank you) and handing over and tipping our driver, we found our way to the entrance of our airbnb, and were met by one of the hosts at the restaurant right beneath it: ORAIA ELLAS https://historiccafesroute.com/oraia-ellas/ (TIP ABOUT TIPS: They are not really a thing in Greece, but we did choose to do so to varying degrees, especially where it may be more practiced in high traffic tourist zones or for special excursions. When you do tip, it is customary to simply round the amount up to the nearest dollar. But again, use discernment with that. We tended to be more generous because we were truly so grateful).
We were brought up to our flat immediately, and were let in earlier than our check-in time. The view was BREATHTAKING. We could not believe this is where we would be staying! The ACROPOLIS was in full view from our balcony and living room. And right beneath us and in part of the foundation of the building, including our flat, ruins of Hadrian’s Library! This former English Lit teacher nerd was thrilled to be in the midst of so much history, which felt alive. We freshened up, ventured out, and enjoyed aimlessly walking around, taking in the sights and stopping for food and drinks (somehow, one waiter convinced us to kickstart our vacay with about 3 unsolicited rounds of “mystica”. Everyone talks about ouzo. No one prepared us for the mystique of mystica!). We were all surprised at how clean, upscale, and cultured this part of the city was, given how many tourists we were walking amongst. Athens is so much more than just its grand ruins. We retired early, around midnight, as we were, well, TIRED, and had a very full day of cramming in the culture the next day.
Here are some highlights of our amazing Airbnb stay and our WALKABOUT the first day and evening in Athens, in the areas around our flat:
Just trying to BELIEVE that we are here. That THIS is the view from our balcony. Note the library ruins in the background. Oh, and the Acropolis behind that. Right underneath was a quaint street filled with shops and restaurants.
There are lovely places of worship everywhere. You could feel the reverence within them. I always pop into as many churches, cathedrals, chapels as I can on my travels, for many reasons. One, it is an opportunity to just be still and present in the moment and express gratitude for it. Two, it is a great way to see art, for free! Just look around…much of it is better than some of the most noteworthy galleries in the world. And three, I love imagining all the weddings and baptisms and funerals that have cycled through, adding many extra layers of stories and sentiment to the space. I swear, you can feel the history in your bones while sitting in the silence, looking around at it all.
The inside of an ancient chapel in a little circle in the midst of city hustle and bustle.
The start of the market near our airbnb. The Acropolis reigns from atop.
- It became apparent early on in our two week long vacation, that we definitely needed the EVIL EYE protection that is customary in many Mediterranean cultures, especially here in Greece (as just about every store carries them in countless forms). If you would like to follow our “WHY WE NEED THE EVIL EYE” STORY, you can CLICK HERE now (and then again in the SANTORINI and IOS segments). I am not gonna lie…this is DENISE’S STORY, and she gave me permission to share it, because it is comedic gold and everyone should laugh as much as we did!
This restaurant near the famous upscale ERMOU shopping district was very “Betsey Johnson” style chic. We didn’t catch the name because we were too distracted by the gorgeous decor. And the fancy cocktails.
Sunset view from our rooftop terrace, which we admired while sipping excellent, inexpensive wine that we purchased at a nearby market.
We were proud of our POOP KIT. You can’t flush toilet paper in much of Greece. The infrastructure in most places can’t handle it. So you put your paper waste in the little bins near the toilets. We came prepared with baby wipes, incense matches, and lavender scented dog poop bags https://www.amazon.com and a misty spray, to keep the bathroom space FRESH. LOL
HIGHLIGHTS FROM our one FULL day in Athens. We went….HARD.
THE ACROPOLIS. We opted to walk, as according to GPS, it was not too far. GPS isn’t capable of explaining just how “uphill” UPHILL is. But, like the Greek warriors who came before us, we soldiered on upward the entire way. In excessive HEAT. It was worth it. We had planned accordingly with extra sunscreen (that we all shared), hats, comfy running shoes, and giant water bottles mixed with “Liquid IV” (electrolytes) that you can conveniently order from Amazon (box of 16) :https://www.amazon.com or Costco (box of 30):https://www.costco.com/ (TIP: Bring a durable, reusable water bottle. You can’t drink the tap water in most places in Greece. Stock up on large bottled water for each new location. Refill your water bottles as often as possible and stay hydrated!)
The walk itself was almost as amazing as the destination. We were surrounded by people from all over the world, and when our gps dropped a few times, we decided to follow a youthful Spanish speaking group, who seemed to have a better navigation situation. However, in all the “look at that!” distractions along the way, we lost sight of them. We figured we would just keep winding upward. We knew we were close when the crowds progressively grew. We finally arrived! We were sweating buckets, but here we were!
Happy Sassie on the steps of the very popular (as you can see) PARTHENON.
The Temple of Athena Nike (aka: The Erechtheion). I thought it was poetic that here I was Just DOing IT, living by what I LOVE.
TIP: ORDER TICKETS TO THE ACROPOLIS IN ADVANCE AND SCHEDULE YOUR VISITATION TIME when booking. Since August of 2023, this has been put in place to help with the tourist overcrowding situation. I booked our tickets through VIATOR via the RAKUTEN site (to get cash back for purchases):
https://www.rakuten.ca/viator https://www.rakuten.ca/viator
The ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS THEATRE. I studied and taught classic Greek plays; here I was, standing in the very place. This was a particularly special, teary eyed moment for me.
It is astounding such structures were built in such “primitive” times and equally astounding is how they have survived across centuries!
A view of the city from The Acropolis’ lookout plateau. A “heart” and an….”O”???
Beautiful little churches everywhere. This was on our walk back down from The Acropolis.
There were many cat sightings across our entire trip. They are well taken care of in Greece. People leave food out for them and they are allowed to sleep in doorways or even inside stores and restaurants. For this animal lover, it was very heartwarming and reassuring.
After a physically busy day, we took a wee disco nap in our beautiful flat, then ventured out for dinner. First, we spent a good hour unknowingly walking AWAY from the PLAKA, our end goal, and when we were in front of government buildings and near the famously luxurious King George Hotel, we finally asked for directions. WHERE is the Plaka? The young Greek man who worked at a Tourism Booth kindly directed us: “Go there (pointing). Then turn right. Then walk a bit more. Then, ASK again.”. Eventually, we had completed a full circle. We gave up on our search. It was time for our tired, hungry a&$ selves to get some FOOD. And drinks. We went in the other direction this time, and found ourselves on steps and next thing we knew, we were pretty much half way up the very mountain we had previously ascended that day. Each step had a lovely restaurant, upon which were quaint tables and glamorous, engaging people drinking and dining. We had our epiphany. We are HERE.
A magical outdoor courtyard surrounded by restaurants that we meandered upon while roaming The Plaka. We ate at TAVERNA PLATANOS. This was the place of our favourite authentic Greek dining experience, as we were beside a table of locals celebrating a birthday. There was singing and clapping and Yamus-ing.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dc9Skf7Nai7yewSU6
“NUMBER ONE. THE BEST” Baklava I have EVER EVER EVER had. In the same Plaka restaurant as above (Platanos Taverna). Also, their house wine (a dry rose) wasn’t too shabby!!
Our final Airbnb rooftop view. The crescent moon seemed to belong to the Acropolis.
SANTORINI
We flew to Santorini vs taking a ferry because we wanted to maximize our stay, and it worked out timing wise with check-out, departure, arrival, and check-in times. The flight was short: 55 minutes. We went with SKYEXPRESS and it was great!
https://www.skyexpress.gr/en (TIP: Review the luggage size and weight restrictions for each flight, as different airlines have different allowances. Skyexpress carry-on size is smaller than Air Canada’s, so 2 of the girls had to check their carry-ons as they boarded, which means there is a hold area right at the door to the plane and the attendants bring all the luggage collected there down to the cargo hold. You pick it up on the tarmac when you exit the plane. It was pretty smooth and stress- free BUT you can avoid this surprise all together if you check in advance and bring a smaller carry-on.)
THE OIA EXPERIENCE
Our AIRBNB HOST had arranged our transportation from the airport. We were greeted by a handsome man with a sign with my name on it. It felt like a movie scene!! And to boot, we had luxury transit in a Mercedes van, so we quite comfortably got to take in the views of the island as we wound up and down through it en route to OIA (pronounced EE-yah). We were let out at the zone where the pedestrian area begins. We were greeted by a PORTER, also arranged by our host. He helped us with our luggage up the slope and over the cobblestone street and through the crowd. Our place was on the main “street” and the hustle and bustle of that completely faded away once inside our traditional cave style home, built right into the side of the mountain. We had a clear look from the entrance to the back of the home where the doors were open to our balcony. We could feel the fresh sea air. For the second time, we were astounded by our accommodation, and when stepping out to our stunning, unobstructed seascape and caldera view, we could not believe this was our life!!! We felt way boujie. Waaaaaay.
The view from our airbnb’s private balcony. Seriously! (again)
If you are likewise in awe of this view, you too can stay here: PANO MERIA VENETIAN STYLE STUDIO II
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/5639043?source_impression_id=p3_1710959787_1P7Sx%2BoknBkXNw%2FN
We stayed in OIA the entire time. I wanted to keep us in one place, so we could settle in a bit, and conveniently walk everywhere. Admittedly, I was somewhat nervous about this decision, as Oia is a very popular HONEYMOON destination and we were a group of women (two of us very much single and ready to mingle. LOL). We considered taking a cab into Thira/Fira, the capital city where a more vibrant nightlife is, for one night, but we were just so content exactly where we were, and we truly had an unbeatable view of the caldera from our very own balcony and rooftop. We were happy to just be in each other’s company, sipping our morning coffee on the balcony, eating the fresh baked bread delivered daily (with the little jams and honey provided by the host); indulging in our mini- market hauls of homemade appetizers and $2.20 Euro bottles of rose and white wine (that did NOT disappoint, even though they were in plastic bottles!) from our rooftop; or sitting for hours at a restaurant or bar “people watching”, trying to guess at all the different languages bouncing around us; and strolling about popping randomly into shops that called to us. TIP: Of the 3 destinations, OIA was by far the most expensive. We tried our best to keep our spending down and only splurged on a few restaurant experiences and the catamaran excursion (pre-booked), thus our frequenting the mini-markets. We had a nicely balanced out stay because of this, and still felt like we were living “waaay bouj” on a modest budget.
Here are some fave pics from our balcony, rooftop terrace, and walkabouts. We pretty much stayed right on the pedestrian street where our airbnb was, but we did venture out from it. The main part of Oia is not very large, so you can see a lot of it in a short period of time.
Also, here are two of our favourite restaurants/bars (we sat outside for each):
SKALA restaurant (Traditional/seafood). We ate here twice! https://skala.restaurant/
MEZZO CAFE AND SNACK BAR (upscale). We treated ourselves to some “waaay bouj” cocktails and dinner here on our final night:
One of the trendy, social media “flowy dress” photo shoots. We saw about 15 different sessions across our stay, each one with different dress colours and subjects (friends, solos, honeymooners, newly engaged, etc…). The dress train would be tossed into the air, like pizza dough, and flutter softly back down, making for, I must admit, quite a beautiful effect. But, with this scenery, you could stand in a potato sack and all would be elevated to Anna Wintour approved covers!
The view to the sea from the middle bedroom. This airbnb was really charming.
Our daily delivery of fresh baked bread! Right to our front door, inside a courtyard that was behind a private gate that opened to the busy and popular pedestrian street. This teensy touch really elevated an already exceptional Airbnb stay.
It was VERY VERY hot, about 90 to 95 degrees F. We took frequent breaks while walking everywhere, leisurely taking in the shops and sights and… glistening.
This powerful Greek man dressed in traditional clothing and weaponry was posed right across from our front gate. I was fascinated by his face. The intensity. The pride.
One of the many classic blue domed churches. This was in the “town centre”.
We spent a few hours in late morning to early afternoon lounging on our rooftop terrace, reading, chatting, posing like the “waaaay bouj” superstars that we aren’t, and endlessly laughing, HYDRATING, and REAPPLYING SUNSCREEN. Then we went inside (during peak heat) to disco nap within our temporary home, with its cool (esthetically and climate-ly) walled home. BLISS.
At the end of the main pedestrian strip we started to get more into the local scene. There were a lot of families and friends hanging out on the many benches around the churches, just enjoying the beauty of the night and the people watching. We discovered a tiny convenience store at the bottom of a stairway facing this church, and turned a brief grocery getting pit-stop into a cultural experience, picking up types of “junk food” we’ve never seen and trying to converse with hand gestures, pointing, smiling, and the one Greek word we knew to be appropriate in this setting: “efcharisto”.
The catamarans and boats anchored around the caldera for the night.
We enjoyed THIS (and the $2.20 Euro bottles of wine) from our balcony, and said about a thousand times regarding our view and LIFE: “NUMBER ONE. THE BEST!”
FULL TRANSPARENCY: As is common on such vacations, Tracey got sick for 24 hours with a cold/flu. She, unfortunately, wasn’t feeling well enough to join for our catamaran cruise, but she did recover quickly and in time for the next leg of our trip. We hooked her up with cold meds (I had brought a medical kit well stocked for such scenarios!) and some instant ramen noodle soups and crackers and ginger ale etc… from a local mini mart AND she opted to sleep on the rooftop on one of the loungers (Janine joined her so she wasn’t alone). She breathed in fresh sea air and got a decent sleep. She was heartbroken to miss the catamaran experience, but she didn’t mind recovering amidst the ocean vibes from the comfort of our “home”, and when we returned from the excursion, she was well enough to join us for our last night out in Oia.
CLICK HERE if you would like a LITTLE STORY about how we rolled with the flow of some of the “humourous” glitches we had here, including more on THE EVIL EYE!
CATAMARAN EXCURSION
For our last day in Santorini, we did a 5 hour CATAMARAN excursion. It was SPECTACULAR and a highlight of our entire vacation. This is the best way to see the island from the water, especially the caldera. We stopped at 3 different places to get out to swim. There was a traditional Greek bbq luncheon; it was delicious. And, there were unlimited cocktails!! I recommend this experience as an absolute MUST!! I booked through Rakuten through Viator. Transportation to and from is included!
https://www.viator.com/tours/Santorini/Exclusive/d959-280218P1
Upon arrival to the port, you are assigned to a catamaran. We were fortunate to be put on THE SANTORINI STAR, which had an amazing crew! We loved it!!
Some highlights:
YAMAS!!! (Cheers)
The rugged volcanic rock formations, upon which Santorini, along with many other Greek Islands, is built.
Beautiful mountain top churches galore. I’m not sure if there was much truth to it, but the 1st Mate told us that parts of Mamma Mia were filmed in this location. Not this church, but the mountainous area and sea around it. I really wanted to believe that, since we had dubbed our trip, in part, Mamma Mia…
There are these little cave houses everywhere along the water in the lagooned areas. Our “cruise director and 1st Mate Orator” told us that Greek land law says if you “Put a door on it, it is YOURS”. Never in my life had I wanted to call my son more, so I could tell him, “Get to Home Hardware IMMEDIATELY, grab yourself a door, and hop on a plane….”.
The Captain (aka: THE LEGEND! The 1st Mate told us Cap had crossed the Atlantic and Aegean Sea 25x and often without a crew!) let me drive the boat. And pet his rescue pup Blinky (lazing behind me). My life is complete.
I excitedly returned from my important boat driving duty to find my friends like THIS. My heart. Look how relaxed and happy they are!! They weren’t even jealous I got to pet the rescue pup. Or drive. They were EXACTLY where they wanted to be.
OVERALL, we had a “Below Deck” (IYKYK ) experience and it was “Number 1. The BEST!”.
If you would like to hear a funny STORY and another installment in our “WHY WE NEED THE EVIL EYE”, please CLICK HERE!
Swimming in 200 feet deep water, looking up at Oia on the Caldera (We spotted our Airbnb!). Supposedly, the boat was right on top of part of the Lost City of Atlantis! For a more detailed STORY on this (Atlantis), CLICK HERE!
THIRA, SANTORINI TO CHORA, IOS
We departed Santorini via FAST FERRY. The only way you can get to Ios is by water. The boarding/ferry experience is a whole STORY on its own: CLICK HERE! Once again, our airbnb host had arranged both a porter and a driver. It was very convenient and we were so grateful for it. In keeping with her excellent customer service, she provided yet another luxury vehicle; this time we drove up and down the mountain in a TESLA. The driver was very friendly and pointed out and explained many sights, all while very responsibly keeping his eyes on the hairpin turn-y road. We looked at a 3D google map after, and it seemed we had somehow scaled the mountain to get to that port!!
Upon arrival, it was important we knew not only our ferry line, but the exact name of our ferry, as the port is pretty long and there are many different boarding platforms. We had luckily arrived about an hour early, as had been suggested when I booked the tickets, so we had time to look about, take more pics, and get close to the start of the super long boarding line.
Our ferry was “WORLD CHAMPION” SEA JET. Sea Jet is a FAST FERRY line. I booked with this line to and from Ios. It is COLOSSAL in size, as its cargo hold is for cars (and luggage). TIP: If you are traveling lightly with just a carryon and/or backpack, you could bring those up to the passenger seating with you and tuck under the seat and/or set to the side by the windows (there are small areas by the stairs for this). It is cumbersome carrying up and down the stairs, though.
The ferry holds thousands of people and has several food/beverage counters and large, super clean bathrooms. It is elegantly appointed and a fairly smooth ride; although, if you at all struggle with motion sickness, you should definitely come prepared and take an anti-nauseant prior to boarding. Three of us wuthered the sometimes choppy waters well, but one…not so much.
We arrived at IOS, the Chora Port, in about 45 minutes! So essentially, we were only seated for about 30 minutes tops. Here are some pics that capture the essence of Greek Island hopping!
Our “waaay bouj” sweet ride to the port. We had never been in a Tesla before. It was awesome! Pictured is Denise’s soon to be famous WATER BOTTLE. If you click on the “Why We Need the Evil Eye” story options, you will be in on the IYKYK.
The port. It looks overcast because a) we were in the clouds (somehow. Even though we were also at sea level?) and b) there were wildfires on nearby islands and the smoke carried across the sky to other islands. We were safe and not at all affected by that smoke.
Waiting in the boarding queue. This is one of my fave pics because it captures the essence of travel. Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming and chaotic. And exhausting. And SWEATY. But it is ALWAYS worth it.
We are at the START of the boarding line. It stretched all the way down to the start of the strip of restaurants, so far beyond what you see in this picture.
The cars starting to come out from the hold.
Boarding SURVIVORS!!! Not as convincing a “Number One. The BEST!” after that experience. LOL But as you can see, the ferry is actually REALLY nice. It is tastefully decorated, spacious, air conditioned, and really quite comfortable.
IOS
THE IOS EXPERIENCE
From the moment we disembarked at the charming CHORA (pronounced HORE-ahh) Port, Ios unanimously had our hearts.
The Chora Harbour, as seen from our Airbnb at the top of the mountain.
I really took a chance on this little known teensy cycladic island (local population 2500), familiar to Europeans for its hedonistic, youngster party vibe in the summer, but laid back, intimate feel in the fall. With one week scheduled here, after the crowds and plethora of nightlife of Athens and Santorini, it was quite a risk, as establishments were starting to close up for the season, and I was hoping we’d still have enough to do and see. We had booked a private villa on the mountaintop, a bit removed from the main village of Chora, but supposedly within walking distance. Welllll, chances are definitely worth taking because we all fell in love with this magical place. It was absolutely “NUMBER ONE! THE BEST!”.
It is often overlooked by tourists in favour of Naxos, Paros, and the ultra famous and glam Mykonos. But, it seems Europeans are in the know on this secret little gem, for the non-islanders we met hailed from England, Norway, Sweden, Tasmania, Germany, Albania, etc… . We came at a lovely time, and practically had the island to ourselves! My ONLY regret, now that I have been, is that we may have had more restaurants, bars, and shops to choose from had we moved our stay up by even just one week, for even as we were there, places were closing up for the rest of the year. Luckily, we were pretty easy to please and we knew how to BRING the FUN. We had enough variety to give us an overall well rounded and very relaxing stay. We believe it was exactly the experience we were meant to have. But back to the recap…
We easily (or not so easily, depending on perspective) found a cab. It was about a 5 minute drive up the mountain, on a scenic winding road that passed through Chora, which is about the mid-way point. Upon arrival, we were once again, speechless at the beauty of not only the villa, but the scenery all around it, in every single direction. Even the cab driver commented. If you likewise think this villa is spectacular, you too can stay here (I can’t imagine a more perfectly situated location if you are looking for a view AND walkability AND proximity to the village):
VILLA IOS SUNSET
https://www.airbnb.ca/rooms/21121471?source_impression_id=p3_1709491757_Z3eb1WuzxurmXHKm
The side of our villa. So beautiful. “Number One. The BEST!”
Vasilis happily greeted us and gave us a tour of what would be our home for the entire week. It was BREATHTAKING. We were in fact at the top of the mountain, and our covered “veranda” overlooked the harbour, from where we had just come. There were also two rooftop balconies, for different island views to the side. We were privately situated, but felt safe because a) Vasilis was right next door in his place and b) the police station was on one side of us and c) a swanky cocktail bar on the other. Vasilis had been kind enough to leave us a starter pack of coffee, regional wine, snacks, and he also brought us beach towels. We felt very warmly welcomed and taken care of.
We were told that we could easily walk into town and that was true. It was exactly half- way to the port and nearest beach. Once we chose our rooms (there were 3 large bedrooms and 3 bathrooms!), and freshened up, we walked down to town to see what we could see, and locate a market for groceries.
We trekked easily into town, following his directions to walk down the road “until we see the sign into town”, then follow that path.
Is THIS the sign Vasilis mentioned? Well, it’s in English, so clearly for tourists. Thus, we followed this downward stone-y path. But, it turned out, it was NOT the one he was referring to. CLICK HERE for that little sideways STORY.
After getting our bearings and some groceries at a fantastic market (seemingly the busiest one on the island), we hiked back up (not as easy as the coming down leg) and set ourselves up at “home” for the week. BUT, before I begin: FULL TRANSPARENCY, again, and because THIS is travel, Denise and I got sick with maybe the same 24-48 hour bug Tracey had just had in Santorini? It hit us about mid-way during our stay here. Luckily, we were staying here for 8 days, so we had the most lovely place for convalescing. It did affect some of our plans (renting buggies to further explore the island; a day trip via ferry to Naxos). Getting sick on vacays happens, and we rolled with it. We once again tapped into my medical kit and Janine and Tracey hooked us up with soup and goodies from the market. We chilled on the covered porch, out of the hot sun (which may have been partly responsible for our being down and out?), and enjoyed watching the harbour activities and chatting the hours away (when we weren’t napping). We are four busy working Mums, so we all agreed that the Universe orchestrated everything to happen exactly as it should, and we were meant to slow our roll at that part of our adventure. So that we did, and we loved every glorious second of our stay on Ios. With that being said, here are some IOS highlights broken into helpful categories and in no particular order:
OUT AND ABOUT IN CHORA
One of the many courtyards around restaurants.
This bar “SWEET IRISH DREAM” is supposedly one of the most popular. Unfortunately, it had just closed for the year. Nevertheless, being part Irish, this sassie lass had to get a pic here.
CATS, CATS, AND MORE CATS!
A stray cat was fed and given shelter in one of the stores. Cats are well cared for and are in great wild abundance all over Ios.
This little sweetie, who is undoubtedly Spock’s animal doppleganger, has a flavour for haute couture, as evidenced in his napping in a high end boutique.
“Puss n Boots” eyes. Of course, he got some accidental drops from my plate.
Some old cities have moats and dragons. This one has stone walls and “fox cats”.
Just a kitty version of Batman hanging out in the cat cave.
One of the many convenient bus stops for easily getting around the island. One way tickets are about 1.60 Euro. https://ktel-ios.gr/ It is really easy to use. CLICK HERE for a funny little STORY about a few of our bus ride experiences.
To give an idea of the SLOPED streets and the physicality of walking everywhere in excessive heat. Also, the sun stripped paint gives an idea of exactly how hot it gets there in peak summer season. We were told it was in excess of 40 celcius on the daily. It was much “cooler” for us, with an average daily temp of about 30 and nighttime about 20 to 25.
THIS is pretty much the scenery everywhere you walk in the town of Chora (minus Sassie. LOL). So charming. The pink flowered BOUGAINVILLEA plants (tall, like trees) and OLEANDER trees, were everywhere. Both thrive in hot weather. The flowers were starting to drop as summer was over, but this made everything seem even MORE romantic and beautiful, as the petal strewn streets were like a hundred bridal aisles. I half expected a Greek God Groom to magically appear at the end of one of them.
This was an authentic Greek restaurant, family owned and operated. We ate dinner here twice. The heart in the stone on the step is befitting, as this place’s food was definitely made with love. More on this further on in my “RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTLIFE” section.
Stopping for a water break. Denise is trying to pose without touching any of her body parts together because it was HOT. And again…note the sloped street. CUSHIONED footwear with straps around the heels are a MUST. Running shoes would be great too, but they’re sweatier.
THE CHURCHES and ISLANDERS JUST LIVING THEIR LIVES
Ios has about 320 churches and only 2500 local inhabitants. Just about every view includes these beautiful places of worship. Denise and I hiked to the church of St. Lucia, patron Saint of healing, and said a few prayers from outside, as the only church actually open now is the Cathedral in the village centre. A few are sometimes opened for weddings and baptisms and funerals.
CATHEDRAL CHURCH is in the very heart of the Chora village.
St. Lucia, a little bit past the port, is the church of healing.
There are at least 3 churches atop this one hill, in just one part of Chora.
This hilltop church loomed behind our villa, and we passed it every time we walked down into town.
Some local boys “being boys”, fishing on a jut of rocks they weren’t supposed to be on (as per the giant signs and fence at the access point). The Mums in us were getting a bit nervous, but they were oh so happy. We heard them yelling out their conversations in Greek, giggling, and just living their best lives.
A lovely lady, who we like to believe is someone’s YIAYIA, preparing some delectable treats for the attached bakery/shop in the harbour hub.
A morning sun peeking over the mountains (photo cred: JANINE who took this on one of her early morning SOLO hikes, which is a testament to how SAFE Ios is).
VILLA LIFE AND VIEWS
We had the “NUMBER ONE. THE BEST!” sunset view right from our covered porch!
The harbour at night.
We spent hours watching the ferries coming and going from our porch.
A sheltered part of our porch, where we ate breakfast each morning. NOTE: In our grocery hauls, we always had Greek yogurt. Only, it’s just “yogurt” there. And it’s delicious.
The view from our rooftop terrace, just outside one of the bedrooms.
Sassie could not be happier.
THE BEACHES
- There are MANY beaches to choose from on Ios. For several reasons, most significant of which being the closed down shops and restaurants at the more remote ones, we enjoyed just two of them. We loved them and didn’t mind in the least that we didn’t venture out to the others.
YIALOS/GIALOS
This became our home away from home. It is a comfortable 15-20 minute walk down the “mountain” to the port and just around the little bay. (To get back UP it is NOT so easy, especially after being sun zapped, so you can easily walk to the closest bus stop, either in the port or a wee bit uphill from the beach strip). It is very protected and shallow, so ideal for relaxing and wading. The sand is soft and the stretch of beach just the right size for walking (while still being able to see where you are set up). We situated ourselves almost daily here, on the beautifully appointed lounging chairs attached to THE BEACH CLUB, our absolute fave establishment on Ios!
https://www.facebook.com/BeachHouseIos OR https://www.instagram.com/beachhouseios?igsh=MWdpYnhwNnFxeW15dg==
We befriended the lovely Norwegian owners, and enjoyed not only all the typical beachy things you hope for, but their hospitality in person and in their many accouterments: lounge chairs, towels, water spouts for cleaning sand off feet, table service, a delicious and well priced menu, spotless bathroom in the restaurant, and a continuous playlist loop that of course featured ABBA (It’s like they knew this Mamma Mia themed group of lasses was coming!).
That “white” Sangria PITCHER though. It’s past noon somewhere.
Janine with The Beach House Ios owners and hostesses with the mostess. Meet ELISABETH and GITTE, such lovely ladies with beautiful, positive energy. This is the front of their charming BEACH HOUSE IOS restaurant/bar. It faces the beach, where they have a plentitude of covered loungers, tables, accouterments, famous pink bean bags for comfy sunning/chilling/flopping, and excellent service.
Prime ferry watching spot. This is the ferry line featured in the newest My Big Fat Greek Wedding film, which was filmed on location.
MYLOPOTAS BEACH
This is a very popular beach in the summer, with its many restaurants and a huge beach club. However, most of the establishments had closed for the year, so we only had a few restaurants to choose from, and they were working with a limited menu (as they would be closing within days of our time there). Still, it was definitely worth the bus ride there. https://ktel-ios.gr/
We set up on sun loungers and were able to get some food and drinks at either Karma https://g.co/kgs/X8tPpSD or
Salt https://www.facebook.com/SaltRestaurantBar
We also rented SUPs for an hour through Mylopotas Water Sports:
Beach time was “NUMBER ONE! The BEST!” for these Mamma Mias
Having the restaurant all to yourself is a perk of off-season travel.
Denise and I SUPing. The SUP rental experience was maybe more entertaining than the actual paddling part, but that was funny too. CLICK HERE for more on these STORIES.
RESTAURANTS and NIGHTLIFE (PUBS, BARS, TAVERNAS)
As I’ve already mentioned, many places had closed down for the year or were literally in the process of doing so while we were there, so although we still had a decent selection (all of which were fantastic), know that if you were to go just a week or two ahead of when we did, you would have much more to choose from. I can only speak to the experiences we had, so here are our faves:
KATOGI GREEK TAPAS
We ate here twice because it was THAT good. It’s located between the “main square” and Helios Rock Bar. It has an earthy, cave vibe with a fashionable bar and colourful decor.
https://mobile.facebook.com/katogios
Not sure if the shape of a Trojan horse was deliberately Edward Scissorhandsed, or it was just the magic of that gorgeous full moon?
The KATOGI gnocchi dish was “Number 1! The BEST!” I have EVER had in my entire life. I don’t know what was in the sauce, but it definitely had a distinct earthy flavour with a “kick”. I feel like I will travel the entire world and never hit that part of my palette again, so I suppose I might have to return just for this culinary satisfaction!
KABOURIS RESTAURANT
https://www.facebook.com/KabourisRestaurantIos
We also ate here twice. It is authentically Greek and is family owned and operated. We felt like we were invited into their home kitchen. It was not too busy our first night here but, was packed for our 2nd (being that it was a weekend and more “holiday makers” had come to the island). The decor was warm, inviting, and overall everything you hope a Greek restaurant on a Greek island to be.
Our INCREDIBLE seafood dinner at KABOURIS. We licked our plates clean and STILL somehow had room for the GINORMOUS dessert they brought, which was complimentary.
LA BUCA RESTAURANT
This place was recommended in several blogs I had read. It is not a traditional Greek restaurant, but we ate here on our last night in Ios, craving something a little different. This is a more Spanish styled tapas restaurant, and although it has spacious seating areas, there was an intimate vibe. It is a family run establishment–complete with the children and their friends/cousins playing amongst us, running up and down the stairs to their flat, which was above the interior of the restaurant. This added to the charm. Oh, and the food and drinks were delicious too!
One of the kids playing near us, a young boy about age 10, stopped and obliged our request, via hand gestures, to take our picture. Then off he ran with his female friends/sisters/cousins? It was a school night and this was about 10:00 pm. There was no sign of shutting it (the play) down anytime soon. Life sure is grand for all ages on Ios!
THE NUTELLERIA
This isn’t necessarily a classic, traditional Greek thing, but is definitely a EUROPEAN thing and we were lured here by its sweet vanilla and caramel aroma, that seemed to skip across the sea air, under that full moon, like stones flicked by excited children across water. It is situated perfectly right next to La Buca, so it is almost impossible to not stop here for dessert. This was our last night here, so we indulged.
Watching him prepare was quite intriguing. Also, it took a team meeting to decide which ones to order, so that we could sample each other’s.
LORD BYRON’S PUB
https://www.facebook.com/p/Lord-Byron-100054217582771
This, according to all my research, was a must see and for me, a personal bucket list thing because…Lord Byron (my fave Romantic era poet). Lord Byron based much of his writing upon his lengthy stays in the Mediterranean, particularly Greece. It is easy to see why he was so inspired. This place honours him with its eclectic, BOLD, artsy vibe. Great drinks and food to boot!
A dream come true!! I made it to LORD BYRONS!! AND grabbed a cherished keepsake too, as there’s a little “Leave one, take one” library inside. Unfortunately, I had nothing to leave in exchange except the glittery dust from my sparkling personality.
YAMUS from Lord Byron’s!!! “…of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that’s best of dark and bright…”
Part of the charming interior of Lord Byron’s, definitely keeping his Romantic Era spirit alive.
More of Lord Byron’s Interior. I think he’d love what they did!
HELIOS ROCK BAR
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063568243836&locale2=el_GR&_rdr
We came here twice. So fun!!! You get to be the d.j. and choose from a long list of classic rock favourites. It’s a popular local spot and a tourist fave too. On one of the nights, we were lucky to have the owner djing! It is located at the far end of the “strip” where the “Main Square” of bars is.
The owner (near the computer) was DJing for us on this particular night. He played quite a range from Drop Kick Murphys to Queen to Guns ‘N Roses….Be prepared for sudden dancing and air guitaring to break out!
We became friends with Millie (far left), who worked at Helios Rock Bar AND a local jewelry store. We nicknamed her “The Mayor”.
Helios Rock Bar during the day. I think this place is a MUST DO when in Chora!
JAR BAR
This cosmo place has an upscale, Manhattan vibe. It has prime bar realty being that it is right in the centre of the Main Square. You can sit at a table outside or inside (with the a.c.) and people watch (the square). We happened to wander in right when a newly engaged couple was celebrating. We got to hear their love story and they invited us to join in their revelry. https://www.instagram.com/jarbarios/
The newly engaged couple dancing happily behind me.
These Mammas dancing right along. We had some “waaay bouj” cocktails here. Highly recommend!
JOHNNY ELECTRIC BAR
This was where we had our MOST fun night, dancing, singing, making new international friends! It was totally unexpected, as we were called in by the sound of our SIREN SONG “Mamma Mia”, which was blaring inside, and we spontaneously answered its call. It is perfectly located in the Main Square and has two entrances (one from the square and one off to the side as you leave the square and go down the sloped pathway toward Helios Rock Bar).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/31015287648 For more on this lively STORY… CLICK HERE.
THE SHOPS
There are PLENTY of cute little shops with PLENTY of wares (clothes, souvenirs, etc…), even despite our being late in the season. Our best finds came from both the village of Chora and down at the Port. In particular, we each treated ourselves to some special jewelry that represented our time in Greece. Fiona’s at the port was great, with a warm and friendly owner (Fiona), a U.K. ex-pat. She also owned a store in the village.
OTHER THINGS WE HAD INTENDED TO DO (that you can try!)
- ATV/BUGGY rental (to see the rest of the island and get up the many hills to the many churches, windmills, rugged access beaches, hillside goats, etc…)
There are several in the village. You can go in person and reserve. They will encourage you to only rent the ATV if you are experienced, otherwise, the buggies are safer and equally fun options. You can put 2 people in each buggy.
* Day trip via fast ferry to a neighbouring island (NAXOS or PAROS). If you are here in the off season, then you will want to check the ferry schedule, as the runs slow way down and you will have limited options for departure and return times.
OUR FINAL MOMENTS
We departed with heavy hearts. We were so grateful for our time on Ios. It was really special. We arrived early to the port so we could squeeze in every last second by enjoying cappuccinos at an outdoor cafe and even stopping in a few shops for some last minute souvenirs. (TIP: Be mindful of weight limitations on both carry-on and checked bags when shopping. We stuck to tiny items that could easily be packed. However, if in a group and you have a lot of purchases, you could always buy a small piece of luggage and for your collective finds, and split the cost to check it!) We also picked up some delicious sandwiches and drinks at a little cafe to have with us on the ferry, as the ride to Athens would be about 5 hours.
“Farewell! if ever fondest prayer
For other’s weal availed on high,
Mine will not all be lost in air,
But waft thy name beyond the sky…” (Lord Byron)
ATHENS (Again!)
The “cruise” to the giant Piraeus Port in Athens was pretty great! We once again took WORLD CHAMPION JET fast ferry:
The boarding was MUCH smoother than the one in Santorini, since there were FAR fewer cars and people disembarking and embarking. My traveling Mammas slept for most of this time, so I wandered the boat front to back, and stood by larger window areas to see the various islands and snap some pics. I got to “sort of” see Naxos, Mykonos, and Syros through the windows!
The Syros Port
The Cab Cue at the PIRAEUS PORT was very busy and confusing. It is easy to get taken advantage of, so be careful to check for proper registration, signage, METRE, etc… The cab should be in an orderly cue. If not, do not get in. We left the port and walked up and down the street to try and wave one down, but it was rush hour, so we had some difficulty. A kind restaurant owner came to our rescue and got one for us. It might be wise to pre-order a cab to have a driver waiting for you with your name on a sign!
We stayed at a hotel on the other side of Athens city and a bit past the airport, in a neighbourhood called MARKOPOULO. The cab ride was about 50 minutes. The hotel was on a lovely neighbourhood type street with a little convenience store right beside it, an authentic traditional Greek food restaurant right across the street (PIATO), and a beautiful church also right across. Hotel: AETHON AIRPORT PROJECT
https://www.aethonairportproject.gr
- NB: When booking this hotel, you can arrange a FREE airport shuttle. Highly advisable to do so as soon as you are able to if you want to choose your most ideal departure time, as the van fills up quickly. You can confirm your shuttle when you check-in. This hotel was great and so convenient for our last night (when you are pretty exhausted).
- We also grabbed more souvenirs at the convenience store, and a few snacks for the next day, and water.
We got up early enough to do a quick walkabout on the street. Here are a few of our last minute discoveries:
The street was lined with OLIVE TREES!
We stopped at a cafe for cappuccinos to go, and we saw THIS. Freshly baked!!! Yes, PARAKOLA
And THIS…. Needless to say, we stocked up for our flight home.
Our shuttle picked us up at around 9:30. The driver told us that the area we were in had some really pretty windmills. We hadn’t any time to check them out, but this is a recommendation for you!
We arrived, as per usual international travel recommendation, about 3 hours prior to our flight time. It is good to do this because airports are so unpredictable and if the check-in and security lines are long, it can add unnecessary stress to the travel experience. We were lucky in that things went pretty smoothly from start to finish in this regard, and we had time to relax at the airport and enjoy the people watching and spending some of our leftover Euros at the Duty Free etc…. .
We had one of the prettiest window views from our gate that I have ever seen from an airport. It didn’t make leaving this vacation any easier.
The thing about traveling is that as wonderful as it is, and as much as it filled our hearts, it somehow always also makes coming home that much sweeter. I think it’s because we feel a new connection to the rest of the world around us, that we hadn’t had before, and we are more alive within ourselves with little extra twinkles and gratitude. We are forever changed. And after recovering from the jet lag and the processing of all the memories just made, we immediately begin planning THE NEXT ONE!!
This was definitely “NUMBER ONE! THE BEST!” welcome home and vacation!! This fabulous and thoughtful sign was made by Tracey’s husband, Terry, who is now dubbed “NUMBER ONE! THE BEST!” Hubby. Insert hands shaped into a heart here.
FINAL WORDS:
Life is short and uncertain. Don’t wait to do all the things. Do them NOW, while you are healthy, able, and have friends to experience EVERYTHING with. Honour those you have lost by living large for them. And honour yourself by letting JOY and WONDER pack themselves into your heart for your life journey; overstuff them so HARD that you have to sit on them to zip them in there, the way my teensy tiny pink Barbie carryon was CRAMMED to the max.
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